


Accidents Happen

by EdgarAllenPoet



Series: Dads of Marmora [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidents, First Time Shifting, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, antok has a good time, dads of marmora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 08:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11482830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdgarAllenPoet/pseuds/EdgarAllenPoet
Summary: " 'He’s grown!' Antok cheered, leaping to his feet as if his previously sore joints had been entirely renewed.  He scooped Keith up effortly, one massive hand around his middle, and tossed him up into the air.  Keith screamed.  Antok laughed with glee.  "





	Accidents Happen

Crash landing onto Terra Amorphenia was not part of the plan.  They were supposed to descend gently to the surface, trek around for a bit, and report back with notes.  It had been a paladin training ground 10,000 years in the past, but after their mishaps with the Fripping Bulgogian, they’d all agreed that checking it out ahead of time was for the best.  Kolivan and Antok, growing tense from being cooped up in the castle and eager to get some fresh air, had volunteered to do some reporting. 

Kolivan had seen the opportunity to bond with their most mysterious paladin and had dragged Keith along with them.  He was technically a member of the Blade of Marmora, after all.  He could benefit from some one-on-one training to catch him up to speed.  At least, that was how he justified it to the others.  It wasn’t entirely untruthful. 

Their downfall, he supposed, was trusting run-down Altean technology.  It was over ten thousand years old, afterall.  Considering how often the castle itself needed repairs, they should have seen this coming. 

Hindsight was always twenty-twenty, though.  It was easy to draw those conclusions while dragging themselves out of the smoking wreckage that had once been an Altean commuter ship. 

“Report,” Kolivan ordered, brushing himself off.  

Coran’s voice came through the speakers on Keith’s helmet.  “You lot okay down there?” 

Antok struggled to his feet, not due to injury.  He’d had a difficult time squeezing his towering frame inside in the first place, and old joints just don’t move the way they used to. 

Keith stumbled out after him, looking no worse for wear.  He clutched his head through his helmet and groaned.  “We’re good,” he told Coran.  “But we’ll need pick-up in a while here.” 

“Tell us when,” Coran answered.  “Good luck.”  The buzz of the connection went out.  Keith slouched a bit. 

“Report,” Kolivan said again, voice gentler.  Keith glanced up at him. 

“I’m alright,” he said.  “You guys okay?” 

Antok rumbled a reply.  Kolivan nodded and said, “Let’s get going then.”

They were only walking for a few minutes after that when Keith collapsed.

 

Kolivan didn’t notice at first, too busy swatting away a swarm of pesky gnats that had taken an interest in his braid and were trying to unravel it.  He batted them away with the best of his efforts, swinging his blade at them and leading the others deeper into the jungle surrounding them, heading in the direction of the used to be training field.  Antok’s cry caught him by surprise. 

 

He shouted, “Keith!” and Kolivan turned to see their youngest comrade crumple to the ground. 

 

Antok caught him, last minute, kneeling with the smaller form and jostling him gently.  At first Kolivan thought he was still conscious, because he was trembling all over and jerking in Antok’s arms.  Closer inspection revealed his eyes closed, his face slack. 

 

“He’s unresponsive,” Antok said.  “We should return him to the castle.” 

 

The gnats at least had the decency to recognize an emergency and desisted their buzzing, abandoning Kolivan for a nearby shrub.  Kolivan stepped closer, knelt down, and felt for Keith’s pulse through the fabric hugging his neck.   Keith was jerking about too much for him to catch anything.  

 

“Is he ill?” he asked, having never seen this sort of behavior before. 

 

“Something is wrong,” Antok pointed out.  

 

“I’ll call the castle.”  Kolivan stood and stepped away, pulling out the small communication device Hunk had given him in order to contact them the way they did through the helmets.  He did not move terribly quickly, because while Keith’s behavior was  _ strange _ his scent indicated that nothing was truly wrong.  Kolivan was more curious than anything, but Antok sounded worried, so he decided to hail the castle and call for assistance.  The humans would know better than he.

 

He was just pressing the censor to call when Antok spoke again.  “Stars…” he murmured, voice coming out a strangled gasp.  Kolivan dropped the device back into his pocket without hailing anyone and turned to investigate. 

 

Keith was sitting up, shaking and jerking stilled, clutching his head and looking wildly confused.  Kolivan didn’t feel much better, because the sight before him was the most perplexing thing he’d ever seen. 

 

It was Keith.  It was definitely still Keith, but the squishy little human they’d started their mission with had transformed- from pale and hairless, to a light purple with a thin coat; canines pointed where they’d previously been rounded, visible through Keith’s gaping mouth; fingers pointed into claws under the sturdy fabric of his gloves; floppy Galran ears flattened under his helmet.  The most noticeable, though, was that Keith had apparently grown a foot in height.  

 

Keith sat up from where he’d been leaning against Antok, and he wrapped his arms around himself, shivering slightly.  Kolivan was a little worried he was going to pass out and start convulsing again.  Antok, on the other hand, was overcome with joy. 

 

“He’s grown!” Antok cheered, leaping to his feet as if his previously sore joints had been entirely renewed.  He scooped Keith up effortly, one massive hand around his middle, and tossed him up into the air.  Keith screamed.  Antok laughed with glee. 

 

Kolivan damn near had a heart attack.  “He might be injured!” he scolded, and was entirely ignored.  “Be careful!” 

 

“He is as fit as ever!” Antok boasted, tossing Keith around like a food sack.  “We throw the humans around all the time.  He is stronger this way.” 

 

“Antok!” Keith yelped, and was promptly tossed over the larger man’s shoulder.  Antok laughed again and began to spin.  Keith clutched onto him and kicked his legs about wildly.  

 

Obviously Kolivan’s teammates had entirely lost their minds- Antok in particular.  

 

“Would you cease for one moment?” Kolivan demanded.  Keith managed to tear himself away from Antok, and he stumbled away dizzily before tearing his helmet off, falling to his knees, and hurling all over some poor little sapling.  Kolivan sighed and clutched his forehead in his hand.  Antok didn’t look guilty at all. 

 

“What great news!” he exclaimed.  “Our cub is grown!”

 

“Our cub?” Kolivan insisted.  Since when had he become a parent? 

 

“He has reached partial maturity and finally grown into his form!” At that, Antok hauled Keith off the ground and swung him around again.  Keith groaned pitifully. 

 

“Alright!” Kolivan exclaimed, deciding it was time to interrupt before he was forced to travel in a cramped commuter vehicle with two men coated in vomit.  “Give him to me before you hurt him.” He took Keith from Antok, surprising himself when he instinctively lifted him by the scruff of the neck.  He was just as surprised when instead of recoiling as pain (which a human would do, but of course, scruffing a human was impossible anyways.  Their skin was far too tight.  What bizarre anatomy), Keith instead went still and hung limply, just as a cub would. 

 

Kolivan stared down at him, puzzled, while Antok lifted his mask over his head and smiled impossibly wide.  

 

After several long seconds of silence, Keith started to squirm.  It was so endearing that Kolivan felt his heart ache a little bit.  Antok let out a whine. 

 

“Okay guys,” Keith said, wrinkling his nose up as he spoke and running his tongue over his newly formed teeth.  His _ Galran _ tongue.  His ears flicked back in irritation.  “What the fuck?” 

 

Kolivan set him down on his feet and looked him over.  Keith drew his blade from behind his back and used it to check his reflection.  The reaction was thankfully less than Kolivan was expecting.  His mouth fell open and his eyes grew wide, breath coming out in a gentle gasp. 

 

“Wow…” he murmured.  “I… well, shit.” 

 

“Your new form suits you!” Antok exclaimed, giant hands clamping onto Keith’s shoulders and shaking him.  Kolivan crossed the area and lifted Keith’s helmet from the ground, blowing the dirt off it gently.   Keith was still puzzling over his reflection.  Antok was still bouncing around like a young cub. 

 

“Is this permanent?” Keith eventually asked.  He looked up at Kolivan.  Even with his added height he was still a great deal smaller than Kolivan, and he was dwarfed by Antok (then again, everyone was).  There was worry swimming in his eyes, and Kolivan was struck very suddenly by just how young he looked.  Fresh new cadets from the Galran military were older than he was, it seemed.  He wasn’t a child, not with his lanky limbs and broadened shoulders, but he was definitely not past adolescence.  Kolivan hated realizing these things.  He hated being old. 

 

What he wouldn’t give to go back to his younger years, when childish soldiers were nothing but an irritation and the reminiscing of older leaders seemed foolish. 

 

Ah, well.  He had to deal with the present. 

 

“We will check in with the castle,” Kolivan answered, “But I doubt something that came along this suddenly will have lasting effects.  It must be reversible.” 

 

Antok drooped in disappointment. Keith sagged with relief. 

 

“Should we continue our mission?” Antok urged, looking as hopeful as Kolivan had ever seen him.  Partially because his expressions were usually hidden behind his mask, and partially because Antok hadn’t been this light hearted since the pair of them were cubs.  “If Keith is feeling well, there is no reason to cut it short.” 

 

Despite Keith’s previous episode, he didn’t look unwell.  He shrugged and rolled his neck, yawning wide and flashing his canines.  “Why not?” 

 

Kolivan sighed.  He nodded.  “Fine, fine.  But we talk with the others upon returning.” 

 

“It’d be hard not too,” Keith muttered.  “I’m not exactly discreet.” 

 

Antok was unconcerned with all of this.  He beamed and bounced on the balls of his feet, then shoved Keith’s shoulder with one hand and went sprinting off into the woods.  Kolivan dropped his face into his hand. 

 

He watched as Keith’s ears flicked up excitedly, eyes wide, every aspect of his body language playful.  He looked at Kolivan, as if looking for permission.  Kolivan wasn’t about to stop them, not when Antok was looking happy for the first time in years.  

 

“Go,” he said, extending an arm.  Keith beamed, bouncing about on his toes, before taking off after him.  Kolivan trailed along behind them, watching Keith throw himself onto Antok’s back, watching Antok toss him to the ground in play fighting.  Ridiculous.  Absolutely ridiculous. 

 

It took an unnecessary amount of time for them to reach the training grounds, and even longer for them to report back to the castle, since Keith and Antok took up the terrain as their own personal playground. 

 

It wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened, he supposed.  It was nice to see them smile.

  
  


…

  
  


All complaints about Altean technology aside, it was at least partially useful that day.  Keith’s suit, for example, was designed to fit perfectly to its paladin’s body.  Even with the growth spurt, it remained perfectly form fitting, and no damage was done to it. 

 

Likewise, Altean medicine was beyond anything Kolivan had ever witnessed.  After the initial shock of returning to the castle with not two, but  _ three _ fully formed Galra, Coran had swept them all away for scans and tests. 

 

Apparently this wasn’t the strangest thing that could have happened.  Something in the terra’s atmosphere triggered the shift, Coran predicted.  Aggravated by the heat of the explosion, it had somehow resulted in Keith’s physical form changing.  

 

“Genetics are a complicated thing,” Pidge had observed, cleaning her glasses on her shirt and squinting at Keith, who looked uncomfortable and fidgety under the scrutiny.  “Think we can switch him back?” 

 

Coran had been confident that they could, and he had been right.  Mere minutes spent in the cryopod had Keith resorting back to his human self, but even after that, the pod remained sealed.  “Fixing any residual damage,” Coran observed. 

 

“Probably from the seizure,” Lance added, sticking close to the pod and pacing around it.  Hunk looked just as nervous, wearing his hands against each other and casting nervous glances to the pod. 

 

“Is he okay?  Aren’t those dangerous?” 

 

“He was responsive, so I doubt there’s brain damage,” Pidge responded.  Shiro sunk further into his seat and rubbed his hands over his face.  Allura sat next to him, studying the pod in interest.

 

“We know the training ground is safe for use though,” she said, casting a questioning glance at Kolivan.  He nodded.  “We head down tomorrow, then.” 

 

“In the lions,” Shiro was quick to add. 

 

“Yes, in the lions.” 

 

Coran twirled his mustache and checked Keith’s vitals on the pod’s screen.  “Best to avoid further accidents.” 

 

If Antok was disappointed, he didn’t say anything.  Kolivan kept silent as well.  It had been nice to see them have fun, but for the sake of the war and the status of the universe, it was best to return things to normal.  

 

Maybe Kolivan would assign Antok to training the new recruits when they returned to the base.  God knows the man deserved a favor.

**Author's Note:**

> I've officially given up on having a coherent timeline for this series. 
> 
> Anything you want to see? Let me know :)


End file.
